She loves her spot at third base. She loves the strategy that’s involved when facing a pitcher. She loves it all.

Funny how much fun you have when your team is winning and you’re having the kind of year Qualls is.

Facing a five-game Mission Valley Athletic League week, James Logan (19-4, 9-2 MVAL) knew it couldn’t rely on just the pitching of Melinda Matsumoto. They were going to need the offense to pick up the pace.

In those five games, Qualls went a combined 10-for-16 with a triple and had four RBIs.

In a first-place showdown at Newark Memorial — a 1-0 loss — Qualls was held hitless, though she got on base twice after being hit with pitches. It was the only game of the five she was held hitless. She wasn’t alone, however, as Newark pitcher Letty Olivarez allowed just two hits and struck out 16.

The Colts opened the five-games stretch Monday with a 7-2 win over American Monday. They lost to Newark 1-0 on Tuesday, won 3-0 over Washington in eight innings Wednesday, beat John F. Kennedy 10-0 on Thursday and wrapped up the week with a 5-1 win over Mission San Jose on Friday.

“It was hard but a lot of it was mental,” Qualls said. “We don’t practice over the weekend, so you play a game Friday, have two days off and then get ready for five straight games. I thought we had the physical ability, but by Friday, I think everyone was tired. That Newark game took a lot out of us.”

The junior prides herself on her approach to batting. And she, like most underclassmen at Logan, plays for the seniors.

“We have four seniors, and I do everything I can to give those players a chance to go out winners. I think we all do it for them,” Qualls said. “When I go up to the plate, I’m confident that I can make it a successful at-bat.”

Despite going 4-1 last week, the Colts couldn’t catch Newark atop the league standings. The Cougars, after that win over Logan and a win over American, clinched a fourth straight league crown.

The league crown, however, doesn’t carry as much weight now because of the addition of the MVAL playoffs. The league playoffs determine the league’s automatic NCS berth. And the way Logan has played recently, the Colts seem to have the talent to beat Newark — which they did in the first round of last year’s NCS playoffs.

“I know we can hang with them,” Qualls said. “We just cannot make errors, and we can’t mess anything up.”